Baran, the Crusader

Baran, the Crusader
Baran, the Crusader
Location(s)	Crusader's Sanctum
Quest(s)	Picking Up the Pieces Chasing a Dream The Crusader

Baran, the Crusader is one of the Elderslayers / Conquerors of the Atlas. He serves as one of the end-game bosses of the Atlas.

Lore

He is the younger brother of Officer Kirac. In Picking Up the Pieces, Kirac asked the player character to investigate The Templar Laboratory to search what Baran and Zana were doing.

Upon rebuilding a map device, Kirac would ask the player character to search Baran in Maps (Chasing a Dream quest). The player character found Zana instead in an abandoned Citadel of a Map. Then the player character found Baran in the corner regions of the Atlas in The Crusader quest.

The player character encountered Baran several times but in the first few, Baran escaped. In the final fight the player beat Baran and ending the quest. (Baran can be re-spawned even after the quest as well as after the last Conqueror fight as re-playable content (the last Conqueror can be re-spawned as well), but not well explained in the lore)

Dialogue

Upon defeating Baran in highest difficulty, he spoke:

Kirac...sent you? You must keep him out of the Atlas...I cannot be saved...he will find only his own doom, endlessly pursuing my rescue...he will end up...like me...
Tell Zana...she was right...to seal us away...Sirus must never...be...

Baran's Journal

Baran's journals are clickable lore items dropped each time you defeat Baran.

Journal I

I, Baran, son of Galhad, being of full age and sound mind and memory, do make, publish and declare this to be my Last Will and Testament. We shall soon meet a cosmic abomination in battle in a place truly outside of all that is Good and Meaningful. Our chance of success, even by God's grace, is slim.
To my good friends and allies, Veritania, Sirus, Drox, and Al-Hezmin, I bequeath to you my staff and platemail. May you use it to seal the great evil that haunts these lands.
To my brothers and sisters of the Templar faith in Exile, Herules, Gomin, Cassia, and Landren, I bequeath to you my home in Oriath, that you might never be without one again.
Signed,
Baran, son of Galhad

Journal II

My dearest Landren,
It seems we may never leave this strange place. Our guide claims the device we used to come here has been broken and cannot be fixed, and that it would take a miracle for a path home to open. Unfortunately, we know the value of miracles.
I can only hope that perhaps some intrepid explorers will discover this place and see to it that this letter finds you, though that could be a thousand years from now.
How I wish I could have spent but a few more moments with you, and felt your hand in mine just one more time. Fate has seen to it, that like our days in the Courts, duty must come before desire.
Know that I did it all so that you might be safe.
I hope you find happiness.
Yours eternally,
Baran

Journal III

To the discoverer of this letter,
What transpired here in this strange and twisted realm is beyond comprehension. An evil older than time itself roamed these lands feeding on the memories of Valdo Caeserius, a son of Oriath.
Alas, the fiend that fed upon him was powerful beyond measure, and unerring in its desire to spread what we discovered was known as the 'Decay.' I know not how long we pursued the demon. Long enough that my allies began to show signs of madness. We'd surely have fallen to the evil were it not for Sirus' courageous leadership... and his sacrifice.
We could find no way to slay the demon, though we tried countless times. It was the daughter of Valdo who found a way to seal it, though it cost poor Zana her father, rest his soul. Our gambit would have failed were it not for Sirus. The demon would not give in, clawing its way from Zana's device. Sirus... He leapt onto it. We saw the demon tap into his body, at last relinquishing its grip. Sirus and the demon spiraled into the trap and out of our reality. Both gone.
Then Sirus was there once more. None of us witnessed his return. His eyes did not move, he did not blink, and his mutterings... Mad and unceasing. Then his face contorted in ways I'd seen only from men possessed by the black spirit. He struck at us again and again. We could not restrain him. We had to flee that place. That is when we discovered our path home was sealed. Valdo's daughter had sabotaged our return.
I do not know how long we have been trapped here. Weeks, at least. Possibly years. Time in the Atlas is a mirage.
Please, dear reader, if you have an ounce of sense in your body, do not dwell here. Return to Oriath, or wherever it is you are from. Tell of Sirus' heroism and sacrifice, and leave him, and us, to die with the secrets we uncovered.
Baran, the Faithless

Journal IV

He has gone silent. At long last, he has finally ceased his mad mutterings.
It was inescapable. No matter where we tread, where we hid, where we sought solace, his mutterings found us. Even when we splintered, his voice wrapped around our heads like a snake, squeezing every other thought into warped shapes. I could not hear God's whispers with such constant noise.
I dare not visit him now. I want only to escape this prison and punish that insolent blasphemer, Caeserius, for her foolishness. Then, perhaps, I will return here with an army, and take the Atlas. What better show of faith is there than the establishment of a nation in God's name? And then? Whatever God whispers.
He has shown me a door. The stones. The paths they reveal. I need only find the right key.
God almighty, I am your servant. I am your sword. I am yours, mind, body, and soul, and I promise I will deliver unto you all you wish to have.

Baran, the Blessed

Abilities

Mana Rune and StormbindStormbindSpell, AoE, Channelling, Lightning, Duration, Arcane
Level: (1-20)
Cost: (3-5) Mana
Cast Time: 0.12 sec
Critical Strike Chance: 6.00%
Effectiveness of Added Damage: 160%Requires Level 28Channel to spread runes on the ground in a growing pattern. The runes fade away after a duration, or will be immediately removed and deal damage in a circular area when detonated by Rune Blast. Enemies standing on the runes are Hindered, reducing their movement speed.Deals (36-444) to (107-1332) Lightning Damage
Base duration is 12.00 seconds
50% reduced Movement Speed
Runes have 30% more Area of Effect per Improvement
Runes deal 100% more Damage with Hits and Ailments per Improvement
A Rune is Improved for each (5-24) Mana Spent
Runes can be improved 3 times

Additional Effects From 1-20% Quality:
Runes have +(0.5-10)% more Area of Effect per Improvement
(0.5-10)% increased Cast SpeedPlace into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.-like skill
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Exclusive drops

Awakened Support Skill Gems (shared with other Conquerors)
The Black CaneThe Black Cane
Royal SceptreSceptre
Physical Damage: 34-80
Critical Strike Chance: 6.00%
Attacks per Second: 1.20
Weapon Range: 1.1 metresRequires Level 50, 86 Str, 86 Int24% increased Elemental Damage+(20-30) to Intelligence
(8-15)% increased Cast Speed
(40-60)% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
Minions deal (40-60)% increased Damage
Each Summoned Phantasm grants you Phantasmal MightLead the army of the damned from the front. (shared with other Conquerors)
Eye of MaliceEye of Malice
Callous MaskEvasion: (610-822)
Energy Shield: (125-168)Requires Level 45, 51 Dex, 51 Int(400-500)% increased Evasion and Energy Shield
+(20-40)% to Fire Resistance
+(20-40)% to Cold Resistance
25% chance to inflict Cold Exposure on Hit
25% chance to inflict Fire Exposure on Hit
Nearby Enemies have 50% increased Fire and Cold ResistancesThrough vision coloured by burning rage and icy hate peers a visitor from a realm of ill intent...(Cold Exposure applies -10% to Cold Resistance for 4 seconds)
(Fire Exposure applies -10% to Fire Resistance for 4 seconds) (shared with other Conquerors)
PainseekerPainseeker
Shagreen GlovesEvasion: (283-466)Requires Level 54, 78 DexAdds (16-19) to (25-29) Fire Damage
Adds (16-19) to (25-29) Cold Damage
Adds (6-10) to (33-38) Lightning Damage
(60-120)% increased Evasion Rating
Critical Strikes do not inherently inflict non-Damaging Ailments
Inflict non-Damaging Ailments as though dealing (100-200)% more DamageLay bare paths to pain you never knew you had. (shared with other Conquerors)
MistwallMistwall
Lacquered BucklerChance to Block: 24%
Evasion: (1049-1372)
Movement Speed: -3%Requires Level 60, 154 Dex6% increased Movement Speed(120-150)% increased Evasion Rating
10% increased Movement Speed
+(10-20)% to Fire and Cold Resistances
+(8-15)% chance to Avoid Elemental Damage from Hits while Phasing
You are at Maximum Chance to Block Attack Damage if you have not Blocked Recently
You have Phasing if you have Blocked RecentlyLight as a board,
Stiff as a feather. (shared with other Conquerors)
Leash of OblationLeash of Oblation
Leather BeltRequires Level 49+(25-40) to maximum Life+(15-20) to all Attributes
+(50-70) to maximum Life
You can have an Offering of each type
Offering Skills have 50% reduced DurationThose who offer up sacrifices to every deity entreat the full favour of none. (shared with other Conquerors)
The Ivory TowerThe Ivory Tower
Saint's HauberkArmour: (443-496)
Energy Shield: (76-85)
Movement Speed: -5%Requires Level 67, 109 Str, 94 Int+(40-70) to Intelligence
+30 to maximum Energy Shield per 100 Reserved Life
+(80-100) to maximum Mana
Regenerate 2% of Energy Shield per second
Chaos Damage is taken from Mana before LifeThe mind is a filter through which anarchy becomes order. (shared with other Conquerors)
Crimson WatchstoneCrimson WatchstoneThe memories and emotions of countless victims of the Elder,
locked in stone for eternity.Socket this into a Citadel on your Atlas to increase the Tier of Maps and reveal hidden Maps in that Citadel's Region. You can only socket one Crimson, Viridian, Cobalt or Golden Watchstone into each Citadel.
Crusader's Exalted OrbCrusader's Exalted OrbStack Size: 20Adds Crusader influence and a new Crusader modifier to a rare itemRight click this item then left click a high-level rare item with no influence to apply it. Rare items can have up to six random modifiers.
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